Council Tax Support

At the end of March we launched a research project investigating the local Council Tax Support scheme. This work has been done in conjunction with other CAB bureaux and the final report is currently being written.

Before April 2013 Council Tax Benefit was a national benefit, meaning the rules were the same for everyone no matter where you lived or how old you were. Since April 2013 local authorities have had to design their own scheme. In North Somerset, residents of working age (16-64) must now pay some of their Council Tax bill when they may not have had to before.

We are looking into how these changes have affected people, and if there is any link between the scheme and North Somerset Council Tax Arrears. We want to make sure the scheme in North Somerset is fair.

What do we already know?

Council tax arrears pose a North Somerset specific problem when compared to neighbouring local authorities

North Somerset council tax arrears stand at 12% of dwellings

North Somerset council tax arrears stand at £121 per dwelling.

North Somerset arrears pose a North Somerset specific problem when compared to the rest of the region